February 4, 2019
Although FOMO (fear of missing out) is often associated with the Millennial or Gen Z generations, the term was actually coined back in 1996 by Dan Herman, a marketer. Herman used the term to describe the anxiety and stress that arises when you feel as if you are missing out on a pleasant experience that you know others are enjoying. In today’s world, many people experience FOMO when they scroll through social media and see people on luxurious vacations, shopping sprees, and other adventures.
Inducing FOMO in a brand’s followers is every marketer’s dream. Why? If someone has FOMO, they will make more of an effort to ensure they don’t miss out on similar enjoyable experiences in the future. This way, they can avoid the stress and anxiety they experienced when they missed out on the first event. So, if your followers get FOMO while looking at your brand’s page, they will make more of an effort to stay connected with your brand so they never miss out on anything again. How can you give your followers FOMO? Follow these tips when planning your next experiential marketing event:
Work With Influencers
Having influencers at your event will definitely induce FOMO in your followers. The influencers will share countless photos and video from your event, so your followers’ feeds will be filled with your branded content. It will be hard for them to ignore if it’s coming from multiple accounts, and the more they see it, the more they will feel as if they missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime event.
This isn’t the only reason why working with influencers will induce FOMO in your followers. Many people idolize the influencers that they follow, so they may feel like they missed out on a huge opportunity to be in the same room as their favorite celebrities once they find out they were at your event. After seeing shots of an influencer at your event, your followers will never miss another one of your brand’s updates.
Give Away Valuable Prizes
Plan on giving away valuable prizes at your next experiential marketing event so you can make your followers wish they were there. Make sure you promote the prizes you are giving away on social media, and if possible, announce the winners once the contest or sweepstakes is over. Your followers will start paying closer attention to your brand’s page once they realize they missed out on an opportunity to win a valuable prize at your event. If you host another event in the future, it’s likely you’ll see their names on the guest list.
Livestream the Event
Some brands like to give their followers FOMO in the days following the event, but there’s no need to wait until the event is over. Make your followers wish they had attended your experiential marketing event by livestreaming it on Facebook or Instagram. As they scroll through their feeds, they won’t be able to resist stopping to watch what’s going on at your event at that very moment. Seeing the fun and excitement as it happens may even convince them to get up and head down to your event while there’s still time!
Make the Event Seem Exclusive
Followers will experience a strong sense of FOMO if they feel like they are missing out on an exclusive event. One brand that nailed this tactic is Bud Light, which hosted an exclusive event for 1,000 of its customers. To gain access, the lucky winners had to send in a video or essay explaining why they should be chosen for the exclusive event. Bud Light chose the 1,000 strongest entries and flew them across the country for an exclusive pop-up party event. Pictures and videos taken at the event were plastered all over social media, so the people who did not win were forced to see the fun they missed out on. They may have missed out on this opportunity, but they will closely follow your brand in the future so they don’t make the same mistake twice.
Create Instagram-Worthy Photo Ops
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter who was at the event or what prizes were given away to the attendees. For some people, all it takes to induce FOMO is a few beautiful pictures taken at your event. Make this happen by creating multiple photo opportunities within the event venue. Use interesting backdrops such as flower structures or textured walls so guests have something to pose in front of when taking the picture. It’s also important to pay attention to the lighting. If the lighting is not ideal for photos, guests probably won’t share the unflattering images on their social media pages. But, if you can get guests to post striking selfies or group shots, followers will instantly start feeling a massive pang of FOMO.
A Final Note on FOMO
Making your followers feel a little bit of FOMO can work in your favor, however, if you make them feel as if they are never included, this could actually hurt your relationship with your audience. Too much FOMO will make your followers feel like they are no longer genuinely connected to your brand. Once this feeling is gone, they may choose to unfollow you on social media and start to lose interest in your products or services. It’s perfectly fine to induce FOMO by hosting a memorable experiential marketing event, but make sure that you launch other marketing initiatives that will feel more inclusive to your followers.
Are you ready to give your followers a serious case of FOMO? If so, let our team of marketing professionals assist with your next experiential marketing event. Contact Factory 360 today to discuss your needs so we can start planning your next FOMO-worthy event!